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THE STATE OF THE NATION 2026
Australia: a country under pressure
May 2026 update now available

The 2026 read on where Australians are at

Since our original State of the Nation report, Australians have been navigating continued cost pressure, an interest rate rise, Federal Budget fallout and broader global instability.

The May update shows how quickly sentiment is shifting: 80% are now concerned about the cost of living, 79% are actively minimising everyday spend, and more Australians are feeling overwhelmed, anxious and pessimistic than in February.

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What's in the report

Priorities have shifted
Cost pressure is reshaping behaviour
Trust is fragmenting
Attention is becoming more selective
What brands should do next
May 2026 update
Priorities have shifted
What Australians care most about looks different to five years ago. Financial security, balance and personal wellbeing are up. Aspirational and purpose-led drivers are down. The implications for how brands position and message are significant.

Cost pressure is reshaping behaviour

Concern is running high and spending is tightening. But this isn't just a short-term squeeze. Australians are making longer-term decisions around stability and security that will shape how they engage with brands well beyond the current cycle.

Trust is fragmenting
Australians are actively managing their mental load. Content and environments that feel useful, calming or genuinely additive to daily life are earning attention. Those that feel interruptive are losing it.
Attentionis becoming more selective
The findings on who Australians trust, and who they don't, are pointed. Familiar, culturally resonant figures are cutting through in ways that institutional ones aren't. That has clear consequences for partnership, talent and creative strategy.
What brands should do next
Each theme carries a clear commercial implication, with practical direction on where to focus, how to communicate and what to rethink.
Plus, the May 2026 update add-on report covers:
Cost of living concern reaching a new high
The emotional toll of financial and global uncertainty
How Australians are changing everyday spend
What shifting value expectations mean for brands

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Get the report

Access the original State of the Nation 2026 report, plus the May update on what has shifted and what it means for brands.

The original State of the Nation 2026 report was conducted in February 2026 with n=2,283 Australians. The May 2026 update was conducted with n=1,050 Australians and focuses on selected measures including cost of living concern, feelings, spending trade-offs and ways to save.
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